2023-12-19 04:23:49
ST. PAUL, Minn. — With all the attention on Minnesota’s new state flag design, certain state symbols have risen in importance. The loon went to the state seal, but a bright beacon found a home on the flag.
That had us wondering: Why is Minnesota the North Star State? And how can we best find it in the sky? Good Question. Jeff Wagner got a unique glimpse into the past that’s helping craft our future.
“L’Étoile du Nord” is French phrase that’s so Minnesota. It means “The Star of the North.” And while the words will no longer adorn the state flag, the meaning sure will.
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“It’s a symbol of stability. It’s a symbol of direction,” said bill Convery, director of research at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Why is MN the North Star State? “The idea of Minnesota being the Star of the North, L’Étoile du Nord, came from our first state Governor Henry Sibley in 1858,” said Convery.
At that time, Minnesota was the northern most state in the union and the French fur trade was big business. Have the state motto in French honored that connection. The North Star also served as a beacon in the sky for explorers in search of new land and slaves escaping the south.
“You can think of the North Star as a guide, as a way into the future. And I don’t know for sure, but I very much guess that’s what Sibley had in mind when he suggested that motto for Minnesota,” said Convery, reiterating that nobody knows for sure why Sibley chose the French motto.
It led to foundation of Minnesota’s identity that almost never was. Convery showed WCCO the long list of possible mottos Sibley created in December 1849. The library at the Minnesota History Center has the actual pages Sibley wrote on. Several lists show a mix of French, Latin, and English phrases.
They ranged from “Be Just and Fear Not” to “Advance with Courage.” The lists were shared with Alexander Ramsey, then the Territorial Governor of Minnesota. Convery said Ramsey preferred English language mottos. “His favorite choice was ‘Forward’ which of course is Wisconsin’s motto today,” said Convery. “Henry Sibley really chose this motto on his own. He didn’t canvas around. This was really his personal preference.”
That decision that would forever connect Minnesotans to the night sky.
“We can see (the North Star) all year round. It’s part of one of our constellations that never sets,” said Kaitlin Ehret, planetarium programs coordinator at the Bell Museum.
What is the best way to locate the North Star? “Th best way to locate it is actually to use a different set of stars,” she said. Start by locating the Big Dipper. “If you take those two stars at the end scoop of the Big Dipper and follow them straight up sky, regarding two fist lengths, you’ll run straight into North Star,” she said.
The North Star, which is named Polaris, is found at the tip of the Little Dipper’s handle.
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What makes the North Star stand out from others? It has to do with location and minimal movement. “The North Star happens to be the star that right now the north pole of the earth is pointing towards,” said Ehret.
That means when the earth spins, the North Star appears to stay still as other stars rotate around it. It’s a sight anyone in the northern hemisphere can experience.
“You can see it just as well here as you might in North Dakota or even over in Maine,” Ehret said.
However, the pride it creates is purely Minnesotan. The North Star is not the brightest star in the sky. That distinction belongs to Sirius. It’s part of the Orion constellation and Ehret said it can only be seen in our area during winter.
Jeff Wagner
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